The Bridge on the River Kwai is a quality war film from director Sir David Lean and starring the Oscar winning Sir Alec Guinness, I'm not sure you can call this follow up a sequel, but it does almost continue the story, from director Andrew V. McLaglen (Shenandoah). Basically it has been two years since the bridge over the River Kwai in Thailand was destroyed, and now, still World War II, a new one has been built by a new group of PoW (Prisoner of War) soldiers. Soon enough though it is destroyed after the arrival of an American bomber, and camp commander Lieutenant Tanaka (Star Trek's George Takei) threatens to execute the ones who helped do it, but the prisoners are saved by Major Harada (Tatsuya Nakadai) who transports them by train and boat to Japan. It is difficult journey with allied forces keeping an eye on the transportation routes, the prisoners, including Major Benford (Edward Fox) are planning escape, and the shot down American bomber Lieutenant Crawford (Chris Penn) is joining them. Led by Colonel Grayson (Denholm Elliott), the PoW soldiers have joined with the indigenous people called the Meo in a resistance against the Japanese, and they will help in all battles and their eventual escape. Also starring Timothy Bottoms as Seaman Miller, Richard Graham as Sergeant Perry, Nick Tate as Lt. Commander Hunt, Etsushi Takahashi as Captain Ozawa and Michael Dante as Commander Davidson. The cast members are reasonable choices, and there were certainly some eye-catching moments of gun play, explosions and battle sequences, but of course the original film is much better, and this effort doesn't come close, but it's an alright Second World War action adventure. Okay!
Review of Return from the River Kwai
